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Ancient Sea Levels Reveal Timing of Earth's True Polar Wander

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Ancient Sea Levels Reveal Timing of Earth's True Polar Wander

Here is what the page “Ancient Sea Levels Reveal Timing of Earth's True Polar Wander” contains. A new study of ancient sea levels has pinpointed when Earth's poles last underwent a major shift, a phenomenon called true polar wander (TPW). TPW occurs when the planet's crust and mantle move together relative to the spin axis, causing the geographic locations of the poles to change. By analyzing sea level records, researchers have identified a significant TPW event that happened around 84 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period.

The findings help explain how regions that were once near the equator ended up closer to the poles, and vice versa. This research matters because it improves our understanding of Earth's dynamic interior and its impact on climate and sea level over geological time. The study, published in Nature Communications, used data from ancient shorelines and sediment deposits to track the movement of the poles. The full version stays on the original page, which this listing opens directly.

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